The Technical Field
The invention relates to a conglomerate of controlled relative density for containing or carrying at least one active substance to be used in a fluid; methods of preparing such a conglomerate; and the use of such a conglomerate as a solid phase matrix, carrier, or substrate material in a fluid bed rector, or in a batch reactor; as a carrier of substances for sustained release; as a food material, medical, and vaccine for fish, or other animals living in water; as a material for treating waste water and polluted waters; and as a material for treating polluted water such as oil polluted sea water.
Further, the invention relates to a method of distributing a fluid in the fluid bed of a fluid bed reactor; and a fluid bed reactor using such a method.
In the present context the expression "conglomerate" is intended to designate a composite of basic particles, which may comprise particles of different types and sizes, held together by conglomerating agents. Conglomerates may be of various sizes, and shapes and should preferably exhibit various degrees of mechanical rigidity depending on the application. Further, conglomerates may be chemically active or may be chemically inactive under the conditions applied.
The expression "conglomerate of controlled relative density" is intended to designate a conglomerate or a conglomerate particle for which in particular the basic particles are chosen in predetermined amounts to provide a certain relative density of the conglomerate with respect to the fluid in which an active substance or another constituent of the conglomerate is to be used so that the floatability or sedimentation, respectively, is controlled. Thus, conglomerates according to the invention are intentionally designed with respect to the density of the medium for their particular purpose of application, including proper consideration of the influence of their sizes on their floating or sedimentation properties. In other media, e.g. during preparation or during storage under e.g. dry conditions, the conglomerate may have a density different from than that in the fluid medium of use, such fluids may be liquids or gases.
In the present context the expression "active substance" should be taken in a very broad sense comprising agents having desired properties for their particular purpose of application, e.g adsorbents, ligands, reagents, enzymes, catalysts; natural substances and substrates, cell aggregates; or nutritional matter for animals living in water; entrapped in or chemically, e.g. covalently, ionically, photochemically, etc. bound to the conglomerate of controlled density.
Carrier materials for carrying at least one active substance are used in a wide variety of applications in chemical and biological processes, such as production and manufacturing of chemical or pharmaceutical products, e.g. for carrying catalysts in liquid phase oil conversion technology, for carrying enzymes for modifying synthetical products, e.g. enzymes such as proteases, invertases, amidases and ring forming enzymes for synthesis of lactones, and carboxypeptidase for synthesis of peptides using solid-phase techniques; fermentation and cell growth, e.g. for carrying cells or substrate; waste water purification, e.g. for carrying enzymes and/or microorganisms, catalysts or adsorbents; chromatographic processes, e.g. high performance liquid chromatography, gel filtration, ion exchange and affinity chromatography, e.g for carrying adsorbents; diagnostic processes, e.g. for carrying adsorbents for blood purification, dyechromatographic processes for albumine purification; and prophylactic processes, e.g. for carrying immobilized antibodies or antigens in extracorporael circulations for removal of antigens or antibodies, bacterial toxins or other toxins, and autoimmune diseases.